 |
 |
Don Reed and I got our letter in the Kansas City Star paper on Oct 1, 2006. Ray Actor Michael J. Fox to host McCaskill fundraiser CHERYL WITTENAUER Associated Press ST. LOUIS - Michael J. Fox arrived in St. Louis Thursday to host a fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill. The actor, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, is a strong advocate of embryonic stem cell research. McCaskill has made support for the research a key part of her campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Jim Talent. Talent opposes the research as unethical, saying it destroys human embryos. The $500-a-plate fundraiser for McCaskill was to be held Thursday night at a St. Louis restaurant. Fox has lobbied Congress to lift President Bush's restrictions on funding the research, which holds promise in the search to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and some types of cancer. Congress passed legislation earlier this year that would boost funding for embryonic stem cell research, but Bush vetoed the measure. In November, Missouri voters will consider a ballot initiative that would ensure all federally allowed embryonic stem cell research could occur in Missouri. Recent polls show voters support the ballot measure by a 2-to-1 margin. Fox's foundation has endorsed the initiative. Donn Rubin, chairman of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, said he's delighted. But neither side of the stem cell debate in Missouri is getting entangled in the Senate race, despite McCaskill's association with stem cell research. On Wednesday, her campaign launched three new ads promoting stem cell research. The ads feature Missourians living with Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia and spinal cord injury, and the potential stem cell research holds to cure their conditions. A spokesman for Talent could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Rubin said stem cell research and cures are not a partisan issue. "Disease does not know political parties," he said. "Any one of us could be stricken with a disease that could be helped with this research." He said the 60,000 coalition members represent an array of political views, including high-profile Republicans Sen. John Danforth and Harbour Group chairman Sam Fox. "There's no reason why the stem cell initiative should be intertwined with any candidate," he said. "Why make it a partisan issue?" The Missouri Republican Party has not taken a position on the issue, spokesman Paul Sloca said. The head of the chief opposition group, Missourians Against Human Cloning, said she doesn't have time to be concerned about the Senate race. "I live and breathe educating people about this deceptive amendment," executive director Jaci Winship said. "It's my focus, my passion. We definitely appreciate that Jim Talent sees this as human cloning and is opposed to the amendment. "But this is a full time job and then some. They'll have to fight it out between themselves." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn